Feedback Wanted: Links to C# Tech Info

A couple of us are working on finding a way to surface key links to information in the MSDN library. Perhaps later we will also link to information found throughout the community websites. If we can find the right approach, we might canonize these categorize and links on the Learn page of the C# Dev Center.

Below you will see a work in progress outlining one possible way to start to surface this information, along with a proposed set of initial links to information about that the various proposed categorize. Hopefully you will find this information interesting in and of itself. However, I would before I work too hard on it, I would like to get feedback from you on the structure of this data and the tentative links included here. If you have any comments on what you see here, please take a moment to reply to this post with your thoughts.

I think the categories laid out here are fairly self explanatory. I would only point out that the work shown below merges two different approaches to categorizing the information on MSDN:

• The first five big bullets categorize data by scenario. For instance, the work with scenarios such as: I want to “Work with data,” “Get Started,”  “Learn about C#,” “Learn the Tools”, “Learn about Web Development.”
• The final category drops the scenario approach and simply lists the technologies that Microsoft spends so much time publicizing.

It is my thought that some developers will think in scenarios, and some in technologies, and some will think in one way or the other depending on the circumstances. The categorization shown below is to designed to accommodate developers from both schools of thought. But I don’t mean to prejudice you by talking about what I’ve tried to do here. Just tell me what you think, if you have any impulse at all to provide feedback. At this stage, I’m not wedded to any of this, I’m just interested in hearing what you think. Thanks for whatever thoughts you might have on this subject.

 

Index

• Working with Data
  • ADO.NET
  • Entity Framework
  • Getting Started with Data
  • LINQ to SQL
  • SQL CE
  • Transact SQL
  • XML
• Getting Started
  • New to Development
  • New to C#
• The C# Language
  • Basics and Specification
  • Samples and Walkthroughs
• Tools
  • Command Line Compiler
  • Debugger
  • Visual Studio Editor
  • Visual Studio Project and Tool Windows
• Web Development
  • ASP.NET
  • HTML
  • Internet Information Server
  • Silverlight
• Microsoft Technologies
  • ClickOnce
  • LINQ
  • Office
  • SharePoint
  • Windows Communication Foundation (WCF)
  • Windows Forms
  • Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF)
  • Windows Workflow

 

The Links

 

Working with Data

Microsoft White Papers.url

MSDN SQL Server Dev Center.url

SQL Server Books Online.url

TechNet SQL Server Dev Center.url

What's New (SQL Server 2008).url

ADO.NET

.NET Framework Data Providers (ADO.NET).url

ADO.NET Code Examples.url

ADO.NET DataSets.url

ADO.NET Overview.url

LINQ and ADO.NET.url

Entity Framework

ADO.NET Entity Framework.url

Quickstart (Entity Framework).url

Working with Entity Data.url

Getting Started with Data

Creating Data Applications by Using Visual Studio.url

How to Create a Data Connection to the Northwind Database.url

Northwind Sample Database.url

Recommendations for Data Access Strategies.url

Table Basics.url

Walkthrough Creating a Simple Data Application.url

LINQ to SQL

Frequently Asked Questions (LINQ to SQL).url

LINQ to SQL.url

SqlMetal.exe (Code Generation Tool).url

SQL CE

Installing SQL Server CE.url

SQL Reference for SQL Server CE.url

SQL Server CE Overview.url

SQL Server

SQL Server Books Online.url

Transact SQL

ALTER TABLE.url

CREATE TABLE.url

DROP TABLE.url

ORDER BY.url

Transact-SQL Reference.url

XML

Working with XML Data.url

XML Tools in Visual Studio.url

Getting Started

New to C#

Creating Your First C# Application.URL

Getting Started with Visual C#.URL

How Do I in C#.URL

Introduction to the C# Programming Language.URL

New To Development

Development for Beginners Tools, Lessons, Resources on MSDN.url

Kid's Corner Learning Computers and Development on MSDN.url

Windows Development for Beginners.url

The C# Language

How Do I in C#

Language Basics and Specification

C# Keywords.url

C# Language Features (C#).url

C# Operators.url

C# Preprocessor Directives (C#).url

The C# Language Specification.url

Samples and Walkthroughs

C# Tutorials (C#).url

Visual C# Sample Applications.url

Visual C# Walkthroughs.url

Visual Studio 2010 and .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 Walkthroughs.url

Microsoft Technologies

ClickOnce

ClickOnce Deployment for Windows Forms Applications.url

ClickOnce Deployment Overview.url

ClickOnce Deployment Walkthroughs.url

LINQ

Anders Hejlsberg on Language Integrated Query.URL

Enumerable Members (System.Linq).URL

IQueryProvider Members (System.Linq).URL

Language-Integrated Query (LINQ).URL

LINQ Home Page.URL

Queryable Members (System.Linq).URL

Standard Query Operators Overview.URL

System.Linq Namespace ().URL

System.Linq.Expressions Namespace ().URL

Office

Excel Developer Center.url

How-to Center.url

Interactive Developer Map.url

Microsoft Office Development.url

Office Business Applications.url

Understanding Office Development.url

Welcome to the Microsoft Office Word 2007 Developer Reference [Word 2007 Developer Reference].url

SharePoint

Learn Windows SharePoint Services 3.0, developer, SDK, tutorials, videos, articles, books.url

Microsoft SharePoint Products and Technologies.url

SharePoint Developer Center 2010, 3.0, 2.0, downloads, tools, SDK.url

SharePoint Products and Technologies (2010).url

Welcome to the Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 SDK.url

Windows Communication Foundation

Basic WCF Programming.url

Getting Started Tutorial.url

Guide to the Documentation.url

Windows Communication Foundation.url

Windows Forms

ClickOnce Deployment for Windows Forms Applications.url

Enhancing Windows Forms Applications.url

Getting Started with Windows Forms.url

What's New in Windows Forms for the .NET Framework 3.5.url

Windows Forms Reference.url

Windows Presentation Foundation

Application Development.url

Getting Started (WPF).url

Graphics and Multimedia.url

Windows Presentation Foundation.url

WPF Fundamentals.url

Windows Workflow

Services Overview.url

System.Workflow.Runtime.Hosting Namespace ().url

Windows Workflow Foundation Overview.url

Windows Workflow Foundation Tutorials.url

Windows Workflow Foundation.url

Tools

Visual C# 2008 Express Edition.URL

Visual Studio Software Development Kit (SDK).url

Visual Studio.url

Command Line Compiler

C# Compiler Options Listed by Category (C#).url

Command-Line Building.url

How to Set Environment Variables.url

Debugger

Building, Debugging, and Testing.url

Debugging in Visual Studio.url

Debugging LINQ.url

Debugging Managed Code.url

Visual Studio Editor

Editing Code and Resource Files.url

How to Add Application Configuration Files to C# Projects.url

Metadata as Source.url

Refactoring (C#).url

XML Editor.url

Visual Studio Project and Tool Windows

How to Arrange and Dock Windows.url

How to Navigate Within the Integrated Development Environment.url

Managing Solutions, Projects, and Files.url

Quick Tour of the Integrated Development Environment.url

Web Development

Web Development.url

ASP.NET

ASP.NET Overview.url

ASP.NET Walkthroughs by Scenario.url

The Official Microsoft ASP.NET Site.url

Visual Web Developer.url

HTML

Behaviors.url

HTML and DHTML Overviews and Tutorials.url

HTML and DHTML Reference.url

Quick Reference Guides.url

Internet Information Services

Deploying Web Sites on IIS 7.0 The Official Microsoft IIS Site.url

Developing on IIS 7.0 The Official Microsoft IIS Site.url

Using Visual Studio 2008 with IIS 7.0 Development Tools Developing on IIS 7.0 The Official Microsoft IIS Site.url

Silverlight

Getting Started with Silverlight.url

Silverlight 3.url

Silverlight 4.0.url

Silverlight Overview.url

The Official Microsoft Silverlight Site.url

XAML.url

Comments

• Anonymous
  December 08, 2009
  only two things really matter to me:

• Make it googleable/bingable

• Stop the link rot! I become massively frustrated with much of MSDN because once I get into it internal links break on a depressingly regular basis. links from deep level articles back up to the general overview as well specific "how to do X" are a good (and now quite common in existing .Net documentation for example)

• Anonymous
  December 22, 2009
  Along with the small demo applications for each technology/class, I would like to see a well architected fully functional n-tier application that uses various MS technologies. I also think a glossary of terms, their common abbreviations and descriptions would be helpful.

• Anonymous
  December 26, 2009
  Amen to @ShuggyCoUk re: link rot. I wish re-direction to up-to-date pages was happening reliably. I loved what you did with LINQ 101, this is one MSFT doc page I come to all the time. I realize it does not work for every topic but it was great. I would love to see a better integration with forums, for things that are not covered in an official page. And possibly a cloud tag. I recommend that you guys check StackOverflow for inspiration on the question of helping people finding information. As for the specific organization you present, my biggest issue with it is order. The idea of arranging by scenario is reasonable, but the logical organization is weird. Why would data > ADO be the first item? The most likely / general items should be on top, ex: the C# language > Sample and Walk-through. My other issue is the following: when I search for programming info, either I know the topic and look for something detailed, and in that case I won't need your index because search will hopefully bring me straight to the right page, or I am new to the topic, and from that standpoint your list assumes a good understanding of the technologies/names MSFT uses - or that the person knows what to use for their problem. Hope this helps!

• Anonymous
  January 04, 2010
  I am interested in the general problem of how to make info more accessible. This looks like a useful start. I am interested in a user-editable source that provides user-voted RSS feeds, web links, and, as Matthias mentions, user-created-and-voted tag lists for each item. User interface may be an issue. Not sure the browser is the best way to go, but it should be an available interface. I think it would be good to add desired items from the source to your local sets.

• Anonymous
  January 05, 2010
  Rob, The idea of user-editable content or user-voted rankings is one that I (and a few others) have supported for some time. Hopefully you will see the site move in that direction slowly over the coming months and years. Certainly some of us are working toward that goal. I'm not sure this particular project will help us achieve that end, but hopefully it has merit of its own.

• Charlie

• Anonymous
  January 05, 2010
  Mathias, Thanks for your comment about the list assuming a good understanding of our technologies. That is a valid point. I'll work on finding words that aren't based on that assumption. The one exception will be the "Technologies" section which is predicated on the idea that users know about a particular subject already, and want to dig into it. I understand that many people will use search to get to the info automatically, but still there are times when one wants to see what we have to say about the subject here on MSDN and would prefer some kind of coherent presentation.

• Charlie

• Anonymous
  January 07, 2010
  I think this is a wonderful idea, but now if you could only make sections (not individual pages) available as coherant pdfs so it could be saved for future offline reference and perhaps printable

• Anonymous
  January 07, 2010
  Terry, Thanks for that suggestion. I'll pass it on. I'm sure people have recommended this kind of thing before, but I don't know what the status is for this kind of request.

• Charlie

• Anonymous
  January 07, 2010
  Terry, You might also be interested in the Package This tool that does something similar to what you want: http://www.codeplex.com/packagethis I didn't know about this tool, but I asked around about your question, and someone mentioned it.

• Charlie

• Anonymous
  January 07, 2010
  I like what you have done with this index, this is going to be very helpful. I agree with the idea of an option for saving a link or subject to a PDF file for future reference. Finally, being able to search just for C# subject matter would be quite helpful. You can do so now but not without several added steps. Weeding through the entire Development Network can sometimes be tedious.

• Anonymous
  January 07, 2010
  Don't forget the architectural stuff currently appearing to be AWOL from your list. I'm deep in the doo trying to learn composite application development for Silverlight/WPF and can use all the guidance I can find.

• Anonymous
  February 10, 2010
  Thanks for these articles, I enjoyed them!

• Anonymous
  March 19, 2010
  thank for this article i love c# :D

• Anonymous
  May 25, 2010
  I would like to see some good links for design patterns implemented in C#.